A Familiar Dance
by azscarecrow
Summary: Joe King intends to trot on a familiar path.


Scarecrow and Mrs. King: A Familiar Dance

Joe King intends to trot on an all to familiar course. 

Disclaimer: They aren't mine, and although I wish they were, it probably won't change a thing. I don't get money from this or any of my stories, just enjoyment, and great pleasure. I thank the people of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon for the characters; I love Scarecrow and Mrs. King.

GI: This takes place in October of 1988, Lee and Amanda have a son (Secrets Can't Be Kept Forever is my story where you'll find that) his name is Eric. Philip and Jamie are their respected ages, the only thing you should really need to know is that Lee and Amanda's marriage is public, and they have Eric, who is seven months old. Warning: I always had an eerie feeling about Joe, sorry if you like him. 

_____SMK_____

"Jamie, come on, we're going to be late for school!" Philip shouted as he walked past the kitchen where his mother sat feeding his youngest brother.

"I can't find my report!" Jamie said frantically looking about the living room for his red folder. "Lee, have you seen it?" Jamie asked deciding to try the kitchen.

"No. The last I saw it you left it on the counter." Lee told his stepson coming down the stairs.

"Ah hah!" Jamie discovered that the report was right where Lee had said. "Thanks Lee." Jamie said darting past his mother. "Bye Mom, bye Eric, bye Lee." Jamie jetted out the back door. 

"Bye." Amanda said trying to get Eric to stop playing with the Cheerios. "Lee, can you help?" Amanda asked deciding Eric was done eating. 

"Sure, what's Sport need?" Lee asked walking over and lifting the tray off the high chair.

"A good scrub." Amanda tossed a wet washcloth in Lee's direction.

"Aye Aye." Lee mocked taking his son out of the high chair. "You're men will be ready to go in just five minutes." Lee said sitting Eric on the counter to wash his face. 

"Ah huh. Sure. You couldn't get Eric ready for anything in five minutes." Amanda retorted. 

"Is that a dare Mrs. Stetson." Lee asked as he finished cleaning Eric. He put the cloth in the sink and walked over to his wife giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Because if so, I accept." Lee whispered. He began to walk up stairs and smiled at her. 

"Agreed, you have five minutes, and if you're not down here in exactly five minutes, you will have lost." Amanda started up the stairs to finish getting ready herself. She was still not dressed for work yet. Amanda had started working at the agency again part time last month. She only went on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and even those had only been half days.  


"Oh, and what are the stakes?" Lee asked shouting from Eric's room.

"We'll decide that later." Amanda answered back.

"Will I want to lose?" Amanda giggled as she began to brush her hair. They were both interrupted from their discussion by the ringing of the doorbell.

"If I get it we have to stop time, because I can't hardly get Eric ready and answer the door." Lee said.

"Fine, I'll get it, wouldn't want to waste your precious time." Amanda said as she started down the stairs. Amanda opened the door and saw a familiar face. "Joe, what brings you over here?" Amanda was slightly shocked.

"Can I come in?" Joe inquired, not wanting to have the discussion he was planning on starting on her doorstep. 

"Yeah, sure, sorry." Amanda said opening the door wider. "What's up?" Amanda asked as she followed him to the den.

"Ah, is Lee around?" Joe asked uncomfortably. 

"Yeah, he's upstairs with Eric." Amanda answered, and with uncanny timing Lee came down the stairs, baby at hand. 

"He's ready in 4 minutes, 43 seconds." Lee happily chimed as he entered the den. "Hey Joe." Lee said handing Eric over to Amanda. 

"Lee, he doesn't match." Amanda said as she handed him back to her husband. "Plus, those pants don't fit him, go put on the pants that match with that shirt."

Lee sighed and began up the stairs. "Lee, can you wait, please, I need to tell Amanda something and it might be best if you're here." 

Lee uneasily came back into the den and sat on the sofa, he pulled Amanda down next to him. "Sure, Joe, what's the matter." Lee stammered. 

"Ah, look there's no easy way to say this." Joe began.

"How about you just say whatever it is that's on your mind." Amanda said starting to get frustrated.

"Carrie's pregnant." Joe slowly allows a smile to creep across his face. An imitation of what Lee and Amanda had done with theirs. Lee carefully bounced Eric up and down on his knee, and Joe silently hoped for that when Carrie had her baby.

"That's great Joe, I'm happy for you." Amanda said, almost tempted to get up and give him a hug, but there was something suspicious in the face he wore that told her to stay seated. She reached for Lee's hand; instinctively knowing she'd need it soon, sooner than she'd wanted.

"There's more." Joe told them quietly, Lee, unsure of himself, remained seated and squeezed Amanda's embrace. Amanda's eyes urged Joe to continue. "She wants to move to Oregon, to be with her parents when the baby's born, and I thought maybe it would be best. It is her first." Joe hated having to tell Amanda, he hated not knowing what her reaction would be. He was tempted to hate leaving the boys, but he wasn't sure whether or not he should show that. 

Amanda's eyes flew open. Was he telling her that he was moving to Oregon, away from the boys? Rage filled her body, but she controlled it, she wasn't one to fly off the handle. He was choosing his wife, and their child, over his ex-wife, and their children. And if that was the choice he wanted to make the consequences would lie on his shoulders. Amanda stayed seated; her legs wanted to move, but Lee's hand was comforting her right now.

Lee wrapped his arm tighter around Eric's waist and pulled the boy closer. Right now he wanted to read the riot act to Joe, but he wasn't sure of Amanda's reaction. The boys might have been Joe's sons, but with every broken promise, they were becoming more Lee's. 

"Amanda, can you please say something?" Joe needed to hear her voice, to know that he was doing the right thing.

"Joe, you're a big boy, you can do what you want, because I'm not going to stop you. But you're telling the boys this time, I am not going to tell them that you have found something else in the world that is more important than they are, again, and watch those hearts break. You can do that. I did it once, I didn't want to do it then, I don't want to do it now." Amanda didn't know where she'd summoned that strength from, but she'd told him almost everything she'd wanted to, and she felt settled.

"Amanda, I just want to know if I'm doing the right thing, it feels right, but I need your assurance."

"Joe, I'm not your wife. And I'm not going to tell you what to do. You do what you think is best." Amanda was beginning to lose her cool, she needed to leave. She stood from the couch, and let Lee's arm fall. "You're the one that's going to lose your sons. And if that's something you're willing to sacrifice for your new child, go for it. But you're going without my blessing." Amanda warned him as she left through the back door. The corners of her eyes stung.

"Lee?" Joe looked up at the man rising above him. "I need your advice." 

"You don't need my advice, you want my blessing, and as much as I hate to admit it, you don't have it; because I love those boys, and this isn't going to make them happy. But right now, my wife needs me. It's your decision." Lee confirmed what Amanda had said, and followed her to the back yard. 

Lee moved his son to his left side, knowing full well Amanda needed a hug; he didn't want to suffocate Eric. He approached the gazebo where his wife sat slowly. He brought a comforting hand across her shoulders. "Hey." 

Amanda looked up, teary eyes held his for a moment. "Hey." She replied allowing her head and shoulders to fall once more. 

"You wanna talk?" Amanda wiped her tears and reached for Eric, knowing she would receive comfort from the fact that his father was going nowhere. Amanda shook her head, and smiled at the baby she now held, Lee had willingly handed him over. A strong arm brought her into an embrace, she relaxed into his arms. 

A few minutes passed before she was willing to talk. She pulled back and looked into Lee's green eyes. "I feel like he's choosing her over us." Amanda whimpered 

"I know." Lee tried to calm her. He brushed her hair lovingly, trying to give her all the strength he could, but somehow he felt that fell far short. 

"Why didn't he have this commitment to family thirteen years ago when I was pregnant with Jamie." Amanda openly told Lee what she was thinking, and was now beginning to regret it. 

"I can't tell you why he decided to grow up right now and leave you and the boys behind, but I'm not going anywhere." Lee tried to reassure her. He held her tightly, rubbing her back he tried to calm her tears. 

"It's not you I'm worried about." Amanda whispered. "I'm worried about the boys. How are they supposed to take this." 

"How did they take it before?"  


"They were too little to really understand."

"This was when he left for Estocia?"

"Yeah."

"I thought he was gone when you were pregnant with Jamie."  


"He was, he was in New York most of the time. It's not like he was gone the entire time I was pregnant with Jamie." Amanda pulled Eric closer to her on her lap. The three of them sat huddled together on the bench. "I'm scared."

"I know, but I'll be here." He stroked her hair. "Come on, let's go back into the house, it's getting cold." 

"Yeah." Amanda sighed and slowly stood with Lee's hand. They slowly walked back into the house, Joe was gone, and a note greeted them.

__

Amanda, 

Look, I don't mean to hurt you or the boys. I didn't want to do this, but I'm trying to start over with my life and put family first. I'll drop by later tonight, take them out for ice cream and explain everything to them. Try not to be too upset, I still want to spend the summers with them. You and Lee can have them during the school year, including Thanksgiving and Christmas, I'm only asking for summers. I won't give you any hassles over custody. Try to understand. 

Love Always,

Joe

Lee pulled Amanda into his chest as she dropped the note to the floor. "He's really going to do this." Amanda whispered quietly into Lee's chest. 

They stood in silence for a brief moment, trying to grab onto the pieces of their life that were falling apart, but not knowing how to grasp them. "I'll call Billy, tell him we're having a family situation, he won't mind if we take a few days off, maybe we should go pick the boys up from school and spend the day with them."

"No, they'll suspect something the second we do that. It's better if Joe tells them. We'll still have to mop up the mess, but Joe's going to make it. I just want to go upstairs and lie down awhile. Do you mind take care of Eric?" Amanda stepped back from Lee.

"No, not at all. I'll be down here if you need anything." He quietly told her, kissing her forehead for reinforcement. With Eric in his arms he watched as she slowly walked up the stairs. He wished he could wrap his family up in a cocoon and keep them safe, but this incident served as a reminder, that every now and then, the wolf in your chicken coop wasn't always an outsider. 

_____SMK_____

"Thanks Mrs. Donahue, I'll just be a sec." Philip shouted as he stepped out of the car and darted toward the house. "That's strange, Mom and Lee's cars are both here." He told himself as he rounded the back of the house. He stopped by the side of the house when he heard Lee on the phone.

"I just want to know how you're going to tell them Joe, I only have the boys best interest in mind." Lee paced back and forth in the living room on the cordless phone. Philip curiously peered through the window. Eric sat on the floor playing with some toys, his mother lay on the couch, a box of tissues in reach, and used ones scattered about the coffee table, and she looked as if she was sleeping. 

Philip ducked beneath the window so he wouldn't be caught. He quickly grabbed his baseball glove from the picnic table and started back to Mrs. Donahue, taking a quick peek on his way back out. "No Joe, you still don't have my blessing. I can't even believe you're doing this." Philip watched his mother began to stir on the couch, Lee had almost yelled the last statement. Lee must have noticed it to, because he started walking over to the door. Philip ran around the side of the house so as not to be caught. "I know they won't like it. Yeah, I'll see you tonight Joe." Lee pushed a button on the phone. He now stood outside. Philip ran back to Mrs. Donahue's car, catching the sound of his stepfather throwing a baseball bat at the fence. 

Fifteen minutes later Mrs. Donahue dropped Philip back off at school, his first order of business was to find Jamie. It wasn't too hard, he sat up in a tree taking pictures of the younger kids playing. Philip shook his head and climbed up to sit next to him. 

"Hey Philip, look at the Cooper kid." Jamie said laughing as he watched the young child play in the sandbox. 

"Funny Jamie." Philip nonchalantly told his brother.

"What are you doing here, your class went in about five minutes ago." Jamie finally looked over.

"I know, I don't care, I went home."

Jamie got a confused face. "Why?" Jamie interrupted. 

"To get my glove, it's not important James, we have a problem." Philip's temper beginning to boil.

"What? Relax will ya, it can't be that bad." 

"It is. Look, I went home, and Mom was sleeping on the couch, there were tissues by her, and all kinds of used ones on the table."

"Maybe she's coming down with a cold."

"Since when does Lee get all mad and throw things just cause Mom's a little sick."

"You didn't tell me Lee was throwing things. What'd he throw? D'he throw it at Mom?" Jamie began to ramble.

"Would you shut up for five seconds so I can tell you. No he didn't throw it at Mom, he loves her dummy. He threw it at the fence."

"What do you think he was mad about."  


"Jamie, I'm not going to tell you if you keep asking me questions!" Philip was losing his patience. 

"Fine. Talk."

"Thank you. He was talking to Dad."

"Are you sure?" 

"Forget it. We'll find out later. I can't handle talking to you." Philip began to climb out of the tree. "You're to immature." Jamie began to panic, and jumped out the tree, dropping his camera to the ground. Philip turned around when he saw Jamie lying on the ground holding his arm, tears forming in the corner of his eyes. "What's wrong."

"My arm hurts." Jamie rolled around on the ground. 

"What'd you do?" Philip yelled at him, beginning to pick up the pieces of camera. 

"You left in such a hurry, and I wanted to know the rest of the story. I just jumped."

"Bad idea. I'll go get Mr. Sonntag, just hang on Jamie." Philip began to run, but turned around briefly to give his brother some advice. "Put a stick in your mouth. That's what they do in the movies."

_____SMK_____

"What?" Lee shouted irritably into the phone. "Oh, sorry Mr. Sonntag" Lee paused as the man on the other end of the line began to talk. "Jamie's where?" Amanda began to wake up at the sound of her husband's stern voice. "Yeah, we'll be right there." Lee hung up the phone and walked into the living room.

"Right where?" Amanda asked rubbing her forehead.

"The hospital." Lee answered lifting Eric into his arms. "Philip and Jamie are both at Arlington General, Jamie fell out of a tree."

"Are they okay?" Amanda asked suddenly worried.

"I guess Jamie broke his arm." Lee said taking her hand. "Mr. Sonntag said he was fine." 

"Why's Philip there?"

"Didn't say. I guess we'll find out." Lee left the house after his wife and locked the door. 

Amanda sat in the car rubbing her head. "When it rains, it pours." She whispered quietly to herself. 

"What?" Lee asked overhearing her mumbles.

"I was just saying how for some reason, we can't just have a nice, calm, year, where nothing goes wrong." 

"Oh, and how many people do you really know have that?"

"We seem to get it in larger amounts."

"Sure, if you look at it portion wise, but it's kind of like alcohol."

"What?!" Amanda exclaimed, not understanding where her husband was going with this comparison of life and alcohol.

"Okay, you know how some people drink one wine cooler, and their hammered, but others, can still drive home after downing eight shots of whiskey. Different people can handle different amounts, and while, from the outside looking in, you might say that the person that walked away after the whiskey was stronger than the one with the wine cooler, they're equal."

"You lost me. I'm back on highway 108 if you want to pick me up." Amanda began to squeeze the bridge of her nose, trying to avoid her headache becoming any worse.

"Alright, someone explained it to me this way once; Everyone cries, at one time or another, everyone finds an event to be so terrible, so horrific, that they have to cry, no one has ever lived on this earth, and not cried."

"You basically just told me it's okay to cry." Amanda told him, now she was only teasing, she knew what he was trying to tell her, but she was trying to lighten the mood, with the added benefit of him getting a little perturbed. 

"Amanda." She recognized that tone.

"It's okay Lee, I got it. It's very wise. Thank you. I feel better now." Amanda told him quickly before his knuckles turned completely white. The way he was gripping that steering wheel she was surprised it wasn't changing shape. "Slow down, it's not such a big rush to get a ticket over. We know the boys are okay." 

"I know, I'm just worried about them." 

"Talk to your son, he's lonely back there." Amanda pointed to the backseat where Eric sat playing with Normie, the stuffed animal that practically had to be cut out of his hands so Eric could bathe. 

Lee walked into the ER with Amanda close behind holding Eric. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Philip sitting in the waiting room. He approached his parents rubbing his sweaty hands up and down on his pant legs. "Jamie's getting x-rays right now." He answered their questions before they could be asked. "The nurses told me he'd be fine."

"What happened?" Lee asked as his wife wrapped her free arm around Philip. 

"I don't really know. He was up the tree taking pictures, I talked to him for a little while, and left, I was about ten feet away, I just heard his camera drop to the ground. It's broke. But I have in the film in my pocket, I tried to save that." Philip handed Lee the roll of film. 

"Mr. and Mrs. Stetson." A doctor said coming from behind the desk in the corner of the room. He shook their hands. "You can ah, come on back to see Jamie if you'd like." 

"Yeah." Amanda sighed and handed Eric to Philip. "Wait out here sweetheart, please." Lee and Amanda followed the doctor down the hallway. 

"He's a little sleepy, we gave him something for the pain, but he should be okay. I'll be back with the x-rays in about five minutes." The doctor told Lee and Amanda holding the door open for them. 

_____SMK_____

Joe was sitting outside of Lee and Amanda's house when they all pulled up in the Wagoneer. Lee was the first to get out, the rest followed. "Where were you? I told you I'd be here at 7!" Joe attacked Lee.

Lee turned to the boys. "Guys, stay in the car. Amanda, I'll take care of this, stay with the boys. Listen to me." He then turned his attention back to Joe. "You never said that Joe. You said you'd be by later." Lee told him trying to stay cool.

"I said seven o'clock, very clearly in the note. I don't want you traipsing around with my sons trying to get them to hate me. Just leave them alone!" Joe yelled at Lee, both of their faces were red. Lee's jaw clenched as tightly as possible, it took every ounce of strength he possessed not to deck him one.

"I suppose you don't even want to know where we were, you just want to accuse me of trying to tell your sons that you don't love them." Lee tried to stay calm, counting to ten over and over in his head. 

"Fine, smart ass, where were you." Joe had been sitting on Amanda's front porch in the cold for forty-five minutes and he'd had plenty of time to work up some steam. 

Amanda had had enough. She jumped out of the car and looked Joe in the eye. "At the hospital Joe, we were at the hospital with the boys. Jamie fell out of a tree and broke his arm. And if you'd just cool down for a bit, and ask, try to show a little concern for your children you could see that. But you're obviously in this big rush to break their hearts and move on to Oregon, so the sooner you do it the better." Amanda slammed her door shut and opened the door behind her. Philip got out. He'd had time to get Eric out of his car seat so he handed him to his mother. Amanda went into the house with Eric.

Lee was torn, he knew of Joe's intentions, and didn't want the boys to go through it alone. He also knew that Amanda needed someone right now, but she had Eric, and while only seven months old, Lee knew she'd be able to stay mediocre with him in her arms. So Lee stayed behind the car, and let Jamie out. "Your Dad wants to talk to you." He told Jamie as he passed behind Lee. 

"What's the matter Dad?" Philip asked approaching his father. 

"Can I have a few minutes alone with them Lee?" Joe asked. Lee nodded and began to walk around the back of the house. 

"No. I want him here." Philip said, remembering the conversation Lee had had with his father earlier. 

"Fine." Joe crossed his arms. "Have it your way. We'll do this right here, for everyone to see."

"It's not my way Joe, it's yours." Lee whispered to himself. He took his place behind Jamie and rested his hands on the boys' shoulders. 

"Guys, Carrie and I are ah, moving to Oregon in a few weeks." Joe told them.

"WHAT! WHY!" They shouted.

"Carrie's pregnant, and she wants to be with her parents when the baby's born. I think it's a good idea." 

Jamie turned and went into the house trying hard not to cry. Philip watched his brother leave. "So you're tossing in the chips. Trading us in for a kid you've never even met. I should've known you'd do something like this." Philip looked at his father in shame and went after Jamie. Philip turned around and looked at Joe, "Write us Joe, tell us how the weather is in Oregon." Philip shook his head. 

"Hey…" Joe started after him at the sign of disrespect but Philip ignored him. 

"Leave them alone Joe." Lee warned.

"Why should I they're my kids. Philip disrespected me, I'm going to go give him a piece of my mind."

"And accomplish what? Making him even madder at you. Starting an argument. And to tell you the truth, I really don't think that was disrespect. Respect is something you earn, and you definitely haven't earned it." Lee told him and started to go to the back.

"He called me Joe, how is that not disrespect." 

"The word 'father' is a title Joe. A title you earn, just like the word 'Sergeant' or 'Colonel', 'Major' or 'Doctor'. Along with the title comes responsibilities and respect. When you don't own up to the responsibilities, you lose the respect, when the respect is gone, so goes the title. It's meaningless."

"I own up to my responsibilities."

"You're leaving them Joe, again. This isn't the first time you left them behind to live their lives. I've known those boys for five years, and I know more about them then you ever will. Because even though you were there when they were created, when they came into this world, you weren't there for the rest. You missed the soccer games, the field trips, the trips to the doctor, or the picnics. You're job doesn't end after the beginning, that's when it's just starting. You sign on for an lifetime investment when you create a life, and in the last fourteen years, you've done a shitty job upholding your end of the investment." Lee left Joe to his thoughts. "I can only pray you didn't think this was going to be easy." 

"I wasn't expecting it to be like this." Joe shook his head and walked down to his car. He put the key in the ignition and drove off down the street. 

Lee walked into the backyard, Philip was kicking a ball against the side of the house as hard as he possibly could. Jamie had gone to his room, his arm was in pain. He could hear Amanda in the kitchen banging pots and pans around while Eric sat in his high chair playing with cheerios. He knew that meant she was mad and he didn't want to guess how mad. 

In Lee's mind he had to pick between the three, because they all needed to talk, without the others being around, and he knew he was the only one that could talk to them, slightly objectively. And that's what it was all about right, objectivity. He logically decided to just work his way around, and since Philip was closest, Philip would go first. Amanda was right, Joe would make the mess, and he'd be left to clean it. 

  
Lee walked over to Philip and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on Chief, let's go for a walk." Lee offered his eldest son.

"No" Philip stepped back to put power behind his kick. "Thanks." He gritted his teeth as he kicked the ball with all of his might. 

"Ah, yeah, I think maybe we should, before you break one of your Mom's windows." Lee urged, forcing Philip to walk with him. 

"I don't want to talk about it Lee. There's nothing to talk about. Carrie and that kid of hers wins." Philip yelled trying to struggle out of Lee's grip, but he was unsuccessful. 

"It's not a win or lose situation Chief." 

"Oh, yeah, it's not. Then explain this, see, Jamie and I are going to be without a father, because he's going to go to Oregon, and the kid, is going to have, our father. You tell me how we win." 

"He's the 'kids' father too you know." Lee tried to be logical.

"Yeah, but you're Eric's father, and you don't seem to have to much trouble being a father to all three of us." 

  
"I'm not Joe."

"Yeah, no kidding. You have a heart." 

"Your father has a heart Philip."

"Right. How do you just leave your kids?" 

"I can't answer that. I don't know how your Dad does it, because to tell you the truth, I could never leave you boys or your mother."

"But it'd be easier to leave me and Jamie then it would to leave Eric." 

"I didn't say that, it's not true. You and Jamie are just as much my sons as Eric."

"Then why don't you leave us. It's gotta be written somewhere, 'Go ahead and leave, Philip and Jamie King can take it.' God, I don't even want his last name. How could he do this, again! He can take his last name and shove it."

"Hey, now stop. I don't want to hear you talk like that. Ever. You're better than that Philip King. You wear that name with pride, make it a point to change the way you think about the name."

"What do you mean?"

"Instead of thinking that the name King means you abandon what should be important to you, make it mean something good." 

"So, I should be twice the man he is."

"You already are that Philip, you just have to make sure people know it." Lee and Philip continued the walk around the block, and their conversation continued with it. When Lee came back, Philip was no longer upset, and decided to go up to his room and try and get some homework done. 

"Philip, did you see where Jamie went?" Lee asked as he was heading into the house. 

"He went to his room, I think his arm was hurting pretty bad." Philip answered and went in the house.

Lee decided to go upstairs and talk to Jamie before Amanda, besides he wanted to make sure his arm was ok.

Lee knocked on Jamie's door. 

Hey Jamie can I come in and talk.

"There's nothing to talk about." Answered Jamie. 

"Please Jamie I know you are hurting, but if you talk about it you'll feel better." Lee pleaded.

"Oh, all right." Answered Jaime as he opened his door. "How can he do this?"

"I don't know Jamie."

"It's not fair." Jamie kicked a soccer ball that was on the floor. 

"Yeah. I know." Lee sighed. "Sometimes, people that we trust, can let us down more than people that we don't."

"Fine, I just won't trust anyone. That should save some pain." 

"Ya know, four years ago, I'd have agreed with you."

"So how come you trust people enough to get close to you?"

"Your Mom. Trusting people can give you some really great rewards, friendship, relationships, some one to love, a reason to celebrate. Every once in a while, the people we trust, let us down, and it hurts. But if you were allowed, even one, really great day with that person, that's what you should remember."

"He's leaving Lee. He's packing it up, calling it quits, and leaving us. How am I supposed to forget that."

"You won't. And it'll hurt, I'm not saying it shouldn't, but maybe instead of always remembering the hurt that his leaving will bring, try to remember the joy of even one day, when he was here."

"Why are you on his side!" Jamie shouted.

"I'm not on his side. I'm mad at him just like you are."

"Philip said you threw a bat." 

"Yeah, I did. After I got off the phone with him, I threw your bat across the yard. I love you two, and I don't want to see you in pain. But I can't harbor you from pain. Along with trust, comes the chance of distrust. At sometime or another, everyone's gonna let you down. But being mad, bitter, and hateful is only going to hurt you, it won't hurt your Dad. Your Dad is making a choice to go to Oregon and start over with Carrie and the new baby. And it takes away yours and Philip's chance at having a Dad around all the time, but it's his choice, let him make it, and try not to let it affect you."

Jamie and Lee sat in silence for awhile. Jamie allowed Lee's advice to sink in. "As long as you're here Lee, Philip and I will always have a Dad." 

"You know I will always be there for you and Philip." Lee smiled at him and left. He knew he had to go and comfort Amanda. He went downstairs to Amanda and found her sitting at the table cutting an onion and crying.

Lee picked up Eric from his high chair and quietly sat beside her. "Don't cry beautiful." He took a stray hair from the front of her face and placed it behind her ear. 

"I'm not crying, it's the onion." The excuse came almost naturally. 

"Sure." Lee nodded, not believing a word of it. "Let's go for a walk." He took her hand and pulled her up.

"Lee, I need to make dinner." 

"Dinner's not going anywhere, the boys are here." Lee walked over to the stairs and yelled up them. "Philip, can you please watch Eric for us?" Philip came down the stairs and took Eric from Lee.

"Yeah. Come on buddy." Philip played with Eric's small hands and he headed back up the stairs. Lee shook his head and went back to the door. He lifted his arms and pulled Amanda into an embrace. 

"It'll be okay, I promise." He whispered gently into her ear. He rubbed her back. "I'm here." 

"I know it will." Amanda pulled back from Lee and opened the door. The two walked out, and she took his hand for support. "I'm glad you talked to the boys. Are they okay?" 

"They'll be fine, they're both really upset, but I think they'll get through it." 

"What'd they say?"

"Well, Philip didn't want to keep the last name King, but I told him he should change what it meant, and make it mean that you don't abandon your responsibilities. And Jamie was just mad at him. I told him not to be because it only hurt himself. Then he was going to take my approach to life before I met you, I talked him out of that too." Lee smiled in pride.

"Thank you." Lee moved his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

"I wanted to. But it's not the boys I'm particularly worried about right now. I'm worried about my wife, because I have this feeling there's something bothering her, and she won't tell me. So, Mrs. Stetson, in your infinite wisdom, can you please tell me how I can get her to, um, spill the beans, so some say." Lee teased her. 

"Well, I can think of a certain technique you definitely possess. Typically takes place in the bedroom."

"Intriguing. And while, every ounce of my body loves the idea, I feel, there is no time, like the present. Tell me."

"Not here Lee. The neighbors are watching, and are no doubt curious as to why this is the second time you're making this trip around the block."

"Have it your way. You'll just have to get by with the Old Faithful of making you smile." Lee kissed the top of her head.

"And what would that be?"

"I love you Mrs. Stetson." Lee smiled and took in a deep breath, savoring the smell of her hair. 

"I love you too, Mr. Stetson." Amanda laid her head on his chest and they continued the walk. 

_____SMK_____

Lee walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. A foot hanging over the side of the couch caught his attention. Then he noticed the TV was on, so he walked over to investigate. 

"What are you doing down here?" Lee asked Philip rubbing his face. 

"Jamie and I were up until about one, talking about Dad leaving today. Then, he fell asleep, so I was going to, until he started snoring up a storm cause of his cold. So I came out here and watched some dumb reruns of Mr. Ed. I drifted in and out of sleep for about three hours, and haven't fallen back asleep since."

"You upset about your Dad leaving." 

"I guess. I just can't believe that's it. When I was little I always hoped he'd come back, and be apart of our life. Actually care about us ya know. Then, when he did come back a few years ago, I thought everything would be okay, he'd get to know us, and we'd be a family again. I guess Jamie and I just weren't good enough."

"It's not your fault Philip."

"I know. But it feels like that sometimes. Like maybe there was something we could have done, or didn't do, or shouldn't have done at all. Something I could have changed." 

"You can't change a thing about the past. Just focus on the future, that's in your hands, you have that in your control and that you can change." 

"Since when are you so smart!" Philip joked, pulling the pillow out from behind the back of his head and smacking Lee. 

"Since I had to start putting up with you." Lee said grabbing the pillow and hitting him back. Lee fell onto the couch and the two started a pillow fight. 

"Get off me! You weigh like three tons!"

"Oh, yeah, well, take this." Lee and Philip began to wrestle, not knowing Amanda was standing behind them watching, and laughing with pleasure and a twinkle in her eye. 

"Joe doesn't know what he's missing." Amanda sighed to herself answering the call of the doorbell.

"Are the boys up?" Joe asked when the door was fully opened. 

"Philip's in the living room with Lee." Amanda stood to the side for him to come in.

"Ah, no, I don't think I want to come in. I just came to say good-bye to them." Joe shuffled his feet on the doormat. 

"I'll go get Jamie." Amanda turned around and started up the stairs. "Philip, your Dad wants to talk to you." Lee and Philip got up from the couch, Lee threw his arms over Philip in retaliation before he could get away. 

"Not fair!" Philip screamed out as he almost fell to the floor.

  
"Always watch your back." Lee laughed starting up the stairs to join his wife. Philip laughed his way to the door. 

"Yeah." Lee looked down at Philip and Joe, and said a silent prayer that everything would go smoothly for Joe. 

Lee stood behind the door that had only a small crack in it, he listened to Amanda and Jamie talking. "I don't want to talk to him." Jamie whined. 

"I know sweetie. Just go say good-bye. You aren't going to be able to see him for about eight months."

"So. It's not like I'll miss much. Lee's going to be here isn't he?" Jamie turned in the bed so he didn't have to face his mother.

"Yes, Lee will be here. But your Dad won't."

"If Lee's here, my Dad will be here." Jamie held onto his stubbornness and was trying not to be hurt by his fathers' departure. 

Amanda began to comb the back of Jamie's hair with her fingers. "Honey, will you please just go down there, and say good-bye to him. For me?" 

"Mom, he doesn't love us." Jamie argued, turning to face her. 

"That's not true. People just have different ways of saying they love you."

"Well, I definitely think the best way is to ditch the people you love. Nothing says 'I love you' like moving away from them." Sarcasm tainted the statement. 

"James Michael King, you march your rear end down stairs, all you have to say is 'Good-bye'. You don't even have to say that you'll miss him, but I am not going to allow you to lay here in this bed, and whine and pout, he is your father, whether you like it or not, and you will say good-bye. Now scoot. You can sing 'Nobody Loves Me' till the cows come home after he's gone." Amanda threw the covers off his tiny body and got off the bed. 

Jamie reluctantly got out of the bed. He walked across his room and opened the door. Lee stood there, Jamie opened his arms and gave Lee a hug. He looked up into Lee's eyes, "Thank you." Jamie said and started downstairs. 

Amanda looked over at Lee. "I'm proud of you." He told her walking over to give her a hug. 

"For what?"

"Being exactly who you are." He smiled and held her in his arms. A few seconds later he pulled back. "Let's go watch Joe leave our sons lives, before the third one wakes up." Lee wrapped his arm around her and they went downstairs. The four of them watched from inside the house as the U-Haul truck pulled away from 4247 Maplewood. It turned around the corner and when it was no longer visible Lee pulled the boys into a hug. 

"Lee, come on! I can't breath!" Philip yelled from inside the hug. "Jeez, you smell, haven't you ever heard of deodorant!" Philip teased as Lee released them. 

"You guys want pancakes?" Amanda asked them.   


"Sure." Jamie said before he ran into the living room. "Come on Lee, let's play Twister." A shrill cry came from upstairs, they all went to check on Eric. Bringing Eric back down, they set him in his playpen to play with his toys, Amanda read off results of spinning the game piece, and Lee, Philip and Jamie, were sprawled along the mat, laughter filling the house. 

"You weigh a ton!" Philip and Jamie shouted as Lee fell on top of them. 


End file.
